Chapter 24.2: “Thank me for what?”

Qian Heng chuckled. “Think about it this way. If you wanted to marry a beautiful wife, but then a plain-looking woman got plastic surgery and tricked you into thinking she was stunning—only for you to have a bunch of ugly kids later—wouldn’t you feel like you’d been scammed? When Bai Xingmeng found out after marriage that Xu Jun wasn’t actually rich, wasn’t that the same feeling of being deceived?”

Gu Beiqing froze, momentarily lost for words.

“And let’s not forget—Xu Jun wasn’t exactly some saint. He took advantage of legal loopholes regarding international marriage registration to set up a company before their wedding, leading Bai Xingmeng to mistakenly believe it was part of their shared marital assets. She invested time and effort into it, only to end up with nothing. Not to mention how he concealed his wealth by making it look like he was in financial ruin during the divorce. If Bai Xingmeng’s manipulation leading to his downfall deserves an 8/10 in terms of ruthlessness, then Xu Jun’s pre- and post-marriage schemes would at least score a 7.5. They were well-matched in their tactics.”

Qian Heng’s words were cutting, but Gu Beiqing had to admit—his analysis was spot on. Neither Bai Xingmeng nor Xu Jun were innocent. It was simply a case of two schemers colliding, leaving both in ruins.

Qian Heng showed no intention of sparing Gu Beiqing’s pride. With a leisurely smile, he added, “See? You and our dear Cheng Yao aren’t much different. When handling marriage cases, do you still believe there’s always a clear-cut victim and perpetrator? Marriage is complicated—it’s rare for one side to be entirely at fault. Most of the time, both are to blame. They are both the victim and the perpetrator.”

Gu Beiqing’s face darkened—his expression nearly turning black. Though he wasn’t as experienced as Qian Heng, he was still an accomplished lawyer with an impressive academic background, including overseas studies…

Yet Qian Heng didn’t care in the slightest about his indignation. He casually glanced at Cheng Yao, then back at Gu Beiqing. “That’s why, if you had him coaching you for the bar exam, you’d barely score 360. But if I were your tutor? You’d be looking at a minimum of 400.”

“…”

*****

The atmosphere grew awkward for a moment. Cheng Yao hesitated but eventually forced herself to break the silence. “But why would Bai Xingmeng do this?”

Qian Heng lifted his eyelids slightly, every cell in his body seemingly exuding contempt for the stupidity of her question. He was as concise as ever. “For profit, of course.”

“Then why push Xu Jun to the brink? If she loves money, he already agreed to a settlement that was more than enough for her. She even had the leverage to demand a higher share of assets by taking advantage of his company’s urgent need to avoid financial trouble before going public. She could have tormented him psychologically and gotten her revenge that way. Why choose to drive him to his death?” Cheng Yao simply couldn’t understand. “Xu Jun still seemed to hold onto the hope of reconciliation before this. That means their divorce wasn’t necessarily so hostile that it had to end in complete destruction. What does Bai Xingmeng gain from all this, aside from revenge? Even if she dumps all the blame on me, how does that benefit her?”

Qian Heng shot Cheng Yao a sidelong glance. “Who do you think you are? Detective Conan? Cheng Yao, you’re just a lawyer—stop meddling in things that don’t concern you. Human nature is complicated. When you don’t have the ability to read someone’s mind, you shouldn’t even try. Bai Xingmeng acted the way she did because the benefits she stands to gain far outweigh any negative consequences from Xu Jun’s suicide. As for what those benefits are, you just don’t know yet. But time will reveal everything.”

“If these details can be made public, it would clear Cheng Yao’s name,” Gu Beiqing coughed lightly, steering the conversation back on track. He looked troubled. “But I’m not Xu Jun, nor his family. I’m not directly involved in this matter. Given my position and professional ethics, I can’t disclose this information—especially things like chat logs and screenshots, which are covered under confidentiality agreements. The only thing I can tell you is that Bai Xingmeng bears undeniable responsibility for this failed marriage and for Xu Jun’s death.”

“You don’t need to make anything public. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Then why did you call me here today? Weren’t we supposed to discuss a solution?”

Qian Heng gave him a baffled look. “Do I need to discuss a solution with you? Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about my professional capabilities?”

“…”

“So, is that it? You called me here just for this? Nothing else to ask?”

“That’s it.” Qian Heng glanced at Gu Beiqing’s empty glass. “Since you’ve finished your drink, you can leave now.”

Gu Beiqing looked at him incredulously. “You’re not even going to be polite about it? Just using me and tossing me aside? We’re in the same profession—there’s a chance we might work together in the future. Don’t you think we should at least chat a bit to maintain a good relationship?”

“Oh? I didn’t realize we had a relationship worth maintaining.”

“…”

Qian Heng shamelessly continued, “Besides, I need to discuss some internal firm matters with my employees next. It’s not convenient for outsiders to be present.” He added, with absolutely no sincerity, “Unless, of course, you’re thinking of joining Junheng and working under me?”

“…”

In the end, Gu Beiqing threw a “Let’s reschedule next time” at Cheng Yao before leaving with a dark expression.

*****

Cheng Yao wasn’t stupid. Almost as soon as Gu Beiqing left, she turned to Qian Heng and expressed her gratitude.

“Thank you, Boss.”

Qian Heng took a sip of his drink and looked at her. “What are you thanking me for?”

“Thank you for letting me see that, in Bai Xingmeng’s case, even though I made mistakes, they weren’t unforgivable. It wasn’t me who pushed Xu Jun toward tragedy. I feel much better now.”

Before this, Cheng Yao had been weighed down by guilt and self-reproach, convinced that she was the reason things had ended in such a disastrous way.

She had thought that Qian Heng brought her out for drinks to offer words of comfort. Instead, he had relieved her psychological burden in a completely unexpected and direct way.

“You’re overthinking it,” Qian Heng turned his head slightly, looking somewhat unnatural. His voice remained cold and arrogant. “I called Gu Beiqing here purely to show you where you went wrong in this case.”

Cheng Yao looked up, puzzled.

“What do you think the truth of this case is now?”

“I was misled by Bai Xingmeng before, completely deceived. But now that I’ve heard both sides, I finally understand what really happened.”

Qian Heng gave her a look as if he had expected this exact response. He glanced at her with disdain. “I gave you so many hints, yet you still don’t get it. I thought you’d be able to answer, but I forgot one thing—people are different. I shouldn’t assume you can comprehend things the way I do.”

“…”

“Cheng Yao, do you think you’ve now grasped the basic facts of Bai Xingmeng’s case? Who’s right, who’s wrong, who’s the victim, and who’s the perpetrator?”

Afraid of giving the wrong answer and being ridiculed again, Cheng Yao wisely chose to stay silent.

“Cheng Yao, I want you to remember this—especially in family law cases—the truth is not always singular.”

“Why?”

“The definition of ‘truth’ is too broad. There’s the factual truth, the legal truth, and the truth as you perceive it. These three aren’t necessarily the same.”

Qian Heng rubbed his temples lightly, his eyelashes fluttering slightly as he blinked while speaking. His thin lips parted, revealing an exquisitely handsome profile that could easily make someone’s heart race. The moment felt almost romantic—except for the fact that his words were all about legal analysis.

“In this case, your perceived truth was influenced by the assumption that women in marriages are always the disadvantaged party. You saw Bai Xingmeng as a victim. But the factual truth is the opposite—while both Bai Xingmeng and Xu Jun initially manipulated each other in their marriage, she held the dominant position for most of it. She was never just a helpless victim. And the legal truth? Does the law favor the morally right party? No. The law only recognizes that Bai Xingmeng was a victim in one specific aspect—when Xu Jun concealed assets during the divorce, causing her to receive a smaller settlement. In the eyes of the law, she is a victim in this regard.”

“In family law cases, especially divorce cases, as the attorney representing one party, you will always hear a version of events that is biased in their favor—sometimes even distorted. You can never understand the full truth of a marriage from just one person’s account. You shouldn’t be quick to judge, assuming your client is the most pitiful party and that by representing them, you’re upholding justice.”

Qian Heng casually brushed a stray strand of hair from his forehead, his gaze drifting idly into the distance. “Your job is to remain neutral and objective at all times.”

Cheng Yao was momentarily stunned. Then, a wave of warmth and gratitude filled her heart.

Qian Heng wasn’t her first boss, but he was the only one who had ever taken the time to say these things to her.